When we watched 50,000 brave souls complete the NYC Marathon earlier this month, we were not only inspired, but curious how many times each runner had to fail on this road to success.
Since we were kids, we have grown accustomed to people saying cliche phrases such as "get back on the horse" or "Rome wasn't built in a day." But, does failing actually lead to success?
Yes, and no.
According to Scientific American, people who were successful in a venture almost always failed first. There was one key difference between people who continued to fail versus those who eventually succeeded, those who succeeded had more carefully dissected past failures.
The article warns that after a failure, many people "thrash around and change everything," instead of recognizing the pieces of the attempt that were successful. That instinct to overhaul everything not only removes positive pieces, but also creates more work unnecessarily.
Athletes are known for falling prey to this "change everything" mindset. Instead of making a simple adjustment to one element of their training routine, many athletes resort to "cleaning house," making radical changes to coaching, training, nutrition and even relationships. This rarely works and often only stalls the athlete's success further.
In fact, a reliable means of predicting which venture will eventually succeed, is looking at the times between consecutive failed attempts. If that time is decreasing, it is more likely that it is going to eventually succeed.
While none of us enjoy failing, it is bound to happen not just professionally or athletically, but in most aspects of life. So, how can we fail our way to success better?
Take time to digest: when failure happens, spend enough time evaluating the failure to pick out the good from the bad.
Flexibility: work smarter, not harder. Knowing when to pivot can help you embrace what you're doing right and leave the bad bits in the dust.
No shame in your game: failing at something means that you tried. Failing first means you'll have an enhanced perspective and humility when you finally succeed.
Be well and fail better.
Love,
Your Partners in Accountability @Fitnescity